The preference for living in rural areas and small cities
The third wave of the Omnibus survey prepared by the Center for Opinion Studies (CEO) was recently presented, which revealed that the majority of Catalans prefer to live in towns and medium or small cities instead of large cities. According to the results, 40% of respondents choose to live in a town, while 36% choose medium or small cities. On the other hand, only 15% of Catalans prefer to live in big cities
Increased migration to rural areas
A study carried out by the Metrópoli Institute, commissioned by the Barcelona Metropolitan Strategic Plan (PEMB), the Association of Rural Initiatives of Catalonia (ARCA) and the Catalan Association of Municipalities (ACM), reveals that in recent years there has been an increase in the migration of the population from urban areas to rural areas in Catalonia. It is estimated that in the next five years, at least 70,000 people will migrate from the urban areas of the Barcelona metropolitan region to semi-dense or rural areas.
Reasons to leave the city
According to the urban cohesion survey carried out by the Metrópoli Institute, almost half of the population that decides to leave the city and move to semi-dense or rural areas does so mainly to improve their housing and/or residential environment. This reason is cited by 47.3% of those surveyed. Another 35.4% mention that they do it to start a home or other family reasons, while only 8.1% do it for work reasons and 7.5% for economic reasons related to housing.
Migration projections towards semi-dense or rural areas
Based on the results of the survey, it is estimated that between 2023 and 2027 approximately 70,000 people will migrate from urban areas to semi-dense or rural areas. Of these, 51,000 people will move to other places within the metropolitan region, while 18,000 will move to municipalities in the rest of Catalonia. It is important to highlight that this decision is supported by a large number of people, since in 2022, around 250,000 residents of the large cities of the Barcelona metropolitan area expressed their desire to live in smaller, semi-dense or rural municipalities.
Challenges of living in semi-dense or rural areas
Living in semi-dense or rural areas of the Barcelona metropolitan region presents some challenges. These areas have clearly lower coverage of services and equipment compared to urban areas. For example, only 7.9% of residents have a primary care center within 500 meters, and the availability of public transportation is limited. In addition, differences are observed in terms of the purchase of clothing and footwear, as well as in participation in cultural activities. Many residents of these areas carry out these activities outside their municipality of residence. Furthermore, the majority of people who live in semi-dense or rural areas have to travel to other municipalities to work.
Risks and recommendations
The Metrópoli Institute highlights that these migrations to rural areas entail certain risks that must be considered. It is important to evaluate the impact that these arrivals may have on the local population in terms of housing prices and possible coexistence conflicts. Furthermore, there is the possibility that these rural areas become dormitory municipalities, which could generate an unsustainable mobility model. Therefore, it is recommended to promote the decentralization of economic and cultural activity, improve the offer of public transport and promote teleworking as key measures to reduce the risks associated with this population displacement from the city to smaller municipalities.
